Bomb-projecting gun



Dec. 25 1923.

, E. BEBLER BOMB PROJEGTING GUN 1,922 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. l,

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E. BEBLIER BOMB PROJECTING GUN Filed Dec. 1: 1h22 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 gnou/woz lDec. 25 T1923. I ,478,597

E. BEBLER BOMB PROJECTING GUN Panarea nee. as, ieee..

NETE@ STATES invase? JELWOOD BEBLER, F LOS ANGELES, GALIFORNIA..

noMn-raorincrme een'.

Application led December l., 15522. Serial N0. 604,344.

To aZZ 'whom t may cof/wem:

Be it known that l, ELwooD BEBLER a citizen of the United States, residing at os Angeles, in the county of' Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful llmprovements in Bomb- Projecting Guns; and l do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable lo others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in ordnance and the present disclosure is de-k signed primarily for use upon bombing planes for projecting the bombs or thelike with force, whereby they will have greater velocity and can therefore be made to travel more accurately to the mark.

Tn carrying out the above end, an object of the invention is to provide a single car'- Iier for a plurality of projectile-discharging units, said carrier being movable to successfully present said units at a common point for operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide the projectile-discharging units with individual controls and to provide a relatively stationary master control for engagement with which said individual controls may be successfully presented.

Yet another obJect is tomake provision for easily retracting the master control from engagement with any of the individual controls, after operation thereof.

A still further aim of the invention is to provide a pair of operating handles for effecting movement of the carrier and operation of the master control, said handles being located adjacent each other, so that they e@ can be successively operated with ease.

A further object is to provide novel construction whereby each of the projectile-discharging units may be operated by comressed air.

With the foregoing and minor objects in view, the'invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, vthe description being supplemented by the accompanying drawings'.

Figure 41 is a side elevation of a gun constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figures 2 and 3 are vertical sectional views as indicated by lines 2-2 and 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a central vertical longitudinal y section, as indicated by line 4.--4 of Fig. 2,

tall parts being set in readiness for operaion. v

Figure 5 isa fragmentary longitudinal sectional view showing the position of parts when a bomb or projectile is being discharged.

Figure 6 is a plan view partly in horizon tal section, as indicated by line 6-6 of the carrier 1..

rThe projectile-discharging units are of a pneumatic type in the form of construction herein disclosed and li prefer to employ the construction shown or an lequivalent ara rangement. The 'body l is provided witha plurality of circumferentially spaced bores 5 into whose front ends, suitable couplings 6 on the rear ends of barrels 7, are threaded, these barrels being adapted toreceive the projectiles 8 and being provided with suitable spring-held detents 9 for holding said projectiles in place. The couplings 6 are each provided with a valve seat 10 with which a suitable valve 11 co-operates to normally prevent escape of pressure from the bore 5 into the barrel 7. In the form of' construction shown, the valves 11 are provided withI operating stems l2 with which cranks 13 on the inner ends of control shafts 14, are provided. 'lhese shafts are rotatably mounted in appropriate bearings carried by the couplings 6 land are provided on their outer ends with gears 15 which constitute individual controls for the several projec tile-discharging units adapted to be successively presented to another relatively stationary gear 16 which constitutes a master control.

The rear ends of the bores 5 are closed, for instance, by appropriate plugs 17 and l prefer to provide pistons 18 in said bores which are held backa'gainst compression springs 19, by the air pressure, the several bores being provided with suitable chargving valves'QO whereby air under pressure may be supplied thereto.v llt, will be seen that when the valve, 11 is opened as seen in Fig. 5, the air pressure will escape and will lll@ ` mitted thereto.

rotatable in a suitable bearing opening.

formed in a bar 25 which. connects the front ends of the barsf'4. The rear end of the shaft 24-`is provided with a handle 26 having a spring-pre-ssed pin or the like 27 engageable with depressions 28 in the pinion 23 whereby a4 ratchet connection is established between said handle and pinion for the purpose of rotating the latter to turn the carrier l. lThe arrangement is such that the handle 26 swings between limits which are preferably definediby the bars 4, the movement of said handle between said limits, being suicient to cause turning of the carrier 1 to such an extent as to move the projectile-discharging unit which has just been fired, out of operative relation with the gear 16, thereby Vsimultaneously presenting the next unit to said gear. This gear,

in the form of construction disclosed, is provided with a shaft 30 rotatable in the tubular shaft 24. A.v handle 31 is pivoted at 32 to the rear end of theshaft 30; said handle bein provide-d with an eccentric or cam 33 to a ut the shaft 24 and shift Athe shaft 30 and gear 16 lrearwardly when the handle 31 is moved to the position shown in VFig.' 4. The gear 16 is thus disengaged from the gear 15 which it has just operated and it will be seen that when the next gear 15 is presented, movement ofthe handle 31 into right angular relation with the shaft 30, 1will permit forward projection of this shaft under the iniuence of a suitable spring 34, thereby intermeshing the two gears 16y and 15.,as,shown in Fig. f5. Thus, by turning the handle 31, the gear 15 is turned to open the valve 11, permitting the escape of pressure which. discharges the projectile, -s soon as this has taken place, the handle 3l is moved tothe position disclosed in Fig. 4, thereby disengaging the gear 16 from the gear 15 so that operation of thehandle 26 may turn the carrier 5 to present the next projectile-discharging unit for operation by the master control means.

lf desired, the muzzles of the several barrels 7 may be provided with longitudinal grooves 35 which tend to diminish the reports, caused by projection of the bomb or the like 8. I It will be seen that excellent results may amaca? be obtained from the general association of parts shown and described. However, the present disclosure is for illustrative purposes only and it is -to be understood that within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous minor changes may be made. Obviously, the gun may be attached to any desired style of aircraft, in any suitable manner, and when so attached,- it will be seen that the several bombs will be steadily held, so that they do not interfere with stabalization of the machine. -It will be further understood that my invention is not restricted to use upon airships, but that it may be employed wherever desirable.

I claim: v

l. A gun comprising a rotatably mounted carrier provided with longitudinally extended bores spaced circumferentially of the carrier,`Y each bore being provided with'a valve controlled fluid inlet, barrels extending from said bores and each provided with means for yieldably retaining a projectile inthe barrels, control valves for the rear ends of said barrels each containing an actuating shaft extending externally vof the barrel and a gear upon the outer end portion of the shaft, a rack extending circumferentially about said carrier, a tubular bearing shaft extending longitudinally of said carrier', a gear upon said bearing meshing with the teeth of said rack for imparting rotary movement to the carrier when. the gear is rotated, a shaft slidably mounted in the bearing, a gear carried by said shaft for engagement by the gears of the control means or the valves ofsaid barrels and moving the valves to an open osition and returning them to a closed position duringrotation of said carrier, and means for moving the shaft longitudinally to move the gear carried thereby intoI and out of position forengagement by the gears of the valve controlling means. j

2. A gun comprising a'rotatably mounted carrier having longitudinally extending bores therein and spaced circumferentially of the carrier, barrels extending from said bores, each bore being provided with an inlet for fluid under pressure, valves for controllin passage of the liuid into the barrels, contro means for moving said valves into and out of a closed position and each including a rotatable shaft extending externally of its barrel and having a gear upon its outer end portion, a slidably .mounted shaft, a gear carried by said slidably mounted shaft and when in an operative'position adapted to be engaged by the gears of the valve actuating means to impart movement to the valve actuating means as said carrier is rotated to move' the barrels successively into a discharging position, a spring yieldably holding said sliding shaft against longitudinal movement forcing the gear valve in an reveev operative position, means for moving said shaft 'longitudinally against the action of said spring to move the gear carried by said shaft out of an operative position, and means for imparting rotary movement to said carrier.

3. A gun comprising a movable carrier having bores formed longitudinally therein, barrels extending from said bores, a

valve for the rear endportion of each valve,

each valve being provided with actuating means including a shaft extending externall of the barrel and a gear upon said sha a rack carried by said carrier, a loosely mounted gear engaging said rack for imparting movement to said carrier when rotated, means for imparting rotary movement to the last mentioned gear, a slidably mounted shaft extending lon itudinally of said carrier and yieldably heldi against sliding movement in one direction, a gear carried bythe sliding shaft or engagement by the gears of the valve actuating means and cause opening and closing of the valves and means for moving said sliding shaft longitudinally against the action of said spring to move the gear carried thereby out'of position for engagement by the gears of th valve actuating means.

4. A 'gun comprising a movable carrier havin longitudinally extending bores forme therein, barrels extendin from said bores,`a control valve mounte in the rear end portion' of each barrel and each having actuating means including a shaft extending externally of the barrel and provided with a gear upon its youter end portion, each bore being provided with an inlet in its forward end portion for fluid under pressure, plungers slidably mounted in said 4bores and yieldably held against rearward ln testimony whereof l have hereunto @0 aiixed my signature.

ELWOOD BEBLER. 

